Employment law and civil litigation representation in Denver, Colorado

Minimum wage law violations may affect Colorado workers

Though many Colorado workers trust their employers to properly compensate them for their services, there are instances in which violations could occur. Employers may violate minimum wage law by taking certain actions and illegally reducing workers’ pay. As a result, these employees could be negatively affected, and there may be cause to take legal action in order to gain that compensation.

It was recently reported that 275 workers in another state were to be paid more than $724,000 in back wages due to numerous wage and hour violations. These violations were made by several restaurants and hotels, and investigations led to the necessary payments being required. It was noted that one restaurant owes 86 employees over $400,000 collectively.

There were numerous and varied violations listed in the report. Among the illegal activities were paying servers only in tips, requiring tipped workers to surrender tips and improperly figuring overtime for tipped workers. Additionally, many individuals were paid fixed compensation while overtime was disregarded, resulting in overtime violations. Deductions for uniforms and shortages were also taken from compensation resulting in minimum wage violations.

When minimum wage law and other employment law violations take place, the impacts can be vast. As this case shows, numerous individuals may be cheated out of thousands of dollars in rightfully earned compensation. If Colorado workers believe that they have been the victims of such violations, they may wish to look into filing employment law claims. These claims could help them pursue the compensation that may be owed to them. Discussing specific situations with experienced attorneys could help individuals better understand their options.

Source: wkow.com, “US Dept. of Labor orders $724,000 in back wages be paid to 275 area employees”, Greg Neumann, May 12, 2016